Standard Lemma guide

benzylpenicillin

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • General-American: /ˌbɛn.zəlˌpɛn.ɪˈsɪl.ɪn/
  • rhymes with -ɪlɪn

1

noun

Meaning 1

The penicillin C16H18N2O4S that constitutes the principal or sole component of most commercial preparations and is used chiefly in the form of its stable salts (as the sodium salt C16H17N2NaO4S or potassium salt C16H17KN2O4S).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: medicine, pharmacology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: penicillin G

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the penicillin that constitutes the principal component of many commercial antibiotics

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: penicillin G

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: penicillin

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Arabic لُبَان (lubān) Proto-Indo-European *yew- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *yéwos Proto-Indo-Iranian *yáwas Sanskrit यव (yava)bor.? Proto-Austronesian *zawa Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *zawader.? Old Javanese jawa Old Javanese -i Old Javanese Jawi Javanese ꦗꦮꦶ (jawi)der. Arabic جَاوَة (jāwa) Proto-Afroasiatic Proto-Semitic Arabic ـِيّ (-iyy) Arabic جَاوِيّ (jāwiyy) Arabic لُبَان جَاوِيّ (lubān jāwiyy)bor. Catalan benjuíder. Middle French benjoinder. English benzoin English benzo- English benz- Proto-Indo-European *swel-der.? Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)der. Frenchder. English -yl English benzyl Proto-Indo-European *pes- Proto-Indo-European *pes-ni-s Proto-Italic *peznis Latin pēnis Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Proto-Italic *-kelos Latin -culus Latin pēniculus ▲ Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -lus Latin -illum Latin pēnicillum Translingual -ium Translingual Penicillium Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Italic *-īnos Latin -īnusder. Old French -inbor. Middle English -in English -ineclip. English -in English penicillin English benzylpenicillin From benzyl + penicillin.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • German: Benzylpenicillin — Translations
  • German: Penicillin G — Translations
  • Russian: бензилпеницилли́н (benzilpenicillín) — Translations